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Haleo
Haleo & Julelan (subtitle: A StickTales Story) is a short story adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Originally released as a bonus comic for backers to the Order of the Stick 2012 Kickstarter campaign, this 25-page grayscale short story was published for public purchase in an electronic-only format in 2017. Plot The Thieves' Guild (led by Guildmaster Starshine) and the House of Tarquin are in a struggle for control over the Italian city of Verona. After a street brawl between the two factions is broken up by the Princess of Verona, Tarquin plots to have his son Julelan married off to Parisa, whose ninja clan he intends to have wipe out the Guild. Tarquin hosts a masquerade party. Starshine's daughter Haleo and some friends sneak into the event, hoping to steal the Rosaline Diamond from Tarquin's wife Sabine. While there, she encounters Julelan and falls in love with him despite his lack of wits. When the Thieves are detected and flee the scene, Haleo doubles back to secretly meet Julelan again, and they make out. The next day, Friar Thundershield marries the couple in a secret ceremony. Tarquin's other son Nybalt confronts Haleo over the break-in at the party. Haleo refuses to fight Nybalt, as they are now in-laws, leading Haleo's friend Vaarcutio to fight Nybalt instead. When Haleo tries to break up the fight, Nybalt Dominates her and makes her fatally stab Vaarcutio. She retaliates by killing him with four shots to the back, then flees. The Princess places Haleo under sentence of death. Before leaving Verona, Haleo sneaks into Julelan's room for one last night. When Julelan learns that his father has confirmed his marriage to Parisa, he runs to ask Friar Thundershield for a time machine to escape the marriage. The friar instead gives Julelan a potion to fake his death with, after which he can flee Verona. Unfortunately the message informing Haleo of the plot fails to reach her, and she receives only the news that her husband is dead. Haleo buys a bottle of poison and sneaks into the Tarquin family tomb, hoping to die beside Julelan. She runs into Parisa, who blames Haleo for Julelan's death and attacks her. Haleo freezes Parisa with her Icy Burst bow and makes her way through various challenges into the crypt. She drinks the poison next to Julelan's body and collapses. Julelan awakes to find Haleo apparently dead. Wishing to die with her, he tries to stab himself with her dagger, which requires many attempts as it only does 1d4 damage. Julelan's resulting yells of pain wake up Haleo, who made her Fortitude save against the poison. Now reunited, the two lovers flee Verona to start a new life, pursued by both the Tarquinites and the Guild. Continuity The story is framed as a tale Elan tells to Haley in order to kill time between when they return to their room at the Palace of Blood in #741 and before the state dinner Tarquin threw in Elan's honor in starting in #742. Elan suggests several stories he could tell to entertain them, ultimately settling on the tale of Haleo and Julelan (after Haley tells him to come up with something without Roy in it). The events of the tale itself are not part of the overall continuity. Locations * Palace of Blood * Verona * Mantua Cast Prelude * Haley Starshine (also on book cover) * Elan (also on book cover) * On the cover of Snips, Snails and Dragon Tales ** The Dragon ** Roy Greenhilt ** Belkar Bitterleaf ** Durkon Thundershield ** Vaarsuvius ** Blackwing ''Les Stickerables'' ''Roy Quixote'' ''Gone with the Wind Elemental'' ''Haleo and Julelan'' in order of appearance Category:OOTS Books